So when Four Wheel Drive Victoria got wind of the shocking illegal rubbish dumping epidemic sweeping the state, they decided to commit not only their vitriol but also their vehicles to the cause.

The organisation has just held a Clean Up the Bush program at Nerrina State Forest near Ballarat, removing more than 120 cubic metres of rubbish along with dumped car bodies, mattresses, TVs, couches, wardrobes with clothes still inside and other junk.

This weekend, they will take to the Wombat State Forest to do the same, in conjunction with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, to help clean up some of the “absolutely astonishing” levels of rubbish dumping.

Project manager Kate Waller said four wheel drivers were hugely passionate about protecting the bush, participating in other projects such as track clearing ahead of fire season and helping with camper safety.

“Everyone’s so willing to get out there and help with the bush and do things for the area they love to get out into and enjoy,” she said.

“It’s inherent in the four wheel drive culture. It’s great to have a big event to pull everyone together and have a big whack of it done at the same time.”

Ms Waller said it was bewildering to see so much rubbish illegally dumped in the bush, with crews at the Nerrina project collecting everything they could imagine – bar a microwave.

“There was everything from beer bottles to oil cans to entire large wardrobes with clothes still in it. It was absolutely astonishing,” she said.

“It’s absolutely rampant. After Nerrina we had people call in just themselves with a rubbish bag to clean it up.”

She said Four Wheel Drive Victoria wanted to get the word out about the problem to reduce its occurrence in the future.

“It’s about the public’s engagement with the bush and also the more far-reaching environmental impact that rubbish can have on the bush, particularly with cars and petrol and other rubbish,” Ms Waller said.

“The places some of this stuff has been dumped, it also seems more of an effort to drive it down tiny tracks than take it to the tip.”

Both Moorabool and Hepburn Shire councils have contributed to the clean-up efforts by giving funding towards the costs of skips.

Already about 80 four wheel drivers have put their hand up for this weekend’s mission, with Ms Waller confirmed that many of them were from Hepburn Shire.

The event will run June 4 and 5 out of a base at Bullarto Hall, with anyone welcome to help. More details at www.4wdvictoria.org.au